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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372745">A hectic household</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware, Half-Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, benrey gets a cat, i dunno send suggestions :), maybe they also get a puppy?, thats pretty much it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:35:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Benrey gets a cat without Gordon knowing.</p><p>Implied Frenrey? Maybe.<br/>Fluffy fic, is my aim.<br/>They're roommates! Oops :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fic concerning hlvrai, so if its not the best, I'm sorry-</p><p>Benrey gets a cat! Gordon isn't the happiest but lets lil beney keep the cat.<br/>Probably will just be a oneshot or something, but if you guys like it enough I can add to it!</p><p>This probably isn't original but I tried-</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gordon certainly was <em>not </em>the happiest when he returned to his apartment, of which he shared with a certain eldritch being and now, a new (mildly unwanted) guest.</p><p>To say that the man was shocked was much of an over-statement at this point. He sighed heavily and ran a hand down his face, staring at Benrey lounging on the couch, a small black cat on his chest.</p><p>"Why do you- Nevermind. Whatever. What- fucking- ever," Gordon hissed out, trudging to his room and removing his shoes, setting them away before returning to the living room. "And how the <em>hell </em>do you think you're going to take care of it?" He asked, crossing his arms and staring at Benrey.</p><p>Benrey was completely unphased, stroking down the cat's spine. "you're gunna take me to the pet store?" He said in his regular, dull voice.</p><p>"Fine. Whatever. What's its name." Gordon asked, his voice monotone in nothing but annoyance. Already, he's annoyed with Benrey, and he hasn't even been home but five minutes.</p><p>"<em>her </em>name is nightly." Benrey replied, not bothering to look at Gordon. "Alright. . So I suppose you want to go to Petsmarts soon. To get her food, and such." Gordon shrugged, walking over and sitting by Benrey's legs, giving Nightly a scratch under the chin.</p><p>The cat purred loudly, enjoying the attention the two were giving her. She soon, though, had enough of it all and jumped down, trotting off and to another room. "aw, ni, don't go," Benrey frowned, calling out to the cat.</p><p>Gordon bit back a snicker at the pathetic display. "'kay, get up. I'm gunna get in comfier clothing and then we're going to Petsmart." He said, standing without waiting for an answer and walking to his room, closing the door.</p><p>-</p><p>Benrey and Gordon were at Petsmart now, quietly walking side by side toward the cat section. Gordon didn't care what Benrey got for the cat, he just hoped it wouldn't cost too much.</p><p>Benrey knew exactly what he was going to get for Nightly. Gordon on the other hand, had <em>no clue </em>what Benrey had planned for the cat. He was so far in thought worrying about the cat living that he nearly passed the cat section, if not for Benrey.</p><p>"bro, you're passing it." Benrey spoke, grabbing hold of Gordon's sleeve to stop him. Gordon shrugged in what'll be close enough to an apology.</p><p>"Alright, go ahead, get lil Ni her stuff." Gordon said, already having a nickname for the small cat. "mr feetman getting cozy with nightly?" Benrey said with a smug smile as he walked toward the cat beds, nearly immediately grabbing a soft looking light orange bed, and throwing at Gordon for him to hold.</p><p>"What am I, your cart?" Gordon muttered to himself, holding onto the cat bed, admiring how soft it was. Benrey ignored him, picking up a thin dark blue cresent patterned blanket, setting it on top of the bed, moving further down the aisle and grabbing a litterbox, setting it beside Gordon. "there," He said, Gordon getting the hint and setting the items in the litterbox.</p><p>Benrey walked down the next aisle, grabbing a collar, harness and leash, all orange. He as well, had a cat brush, a cresent nametag, and two blue pawprint covered bowls.</p><p>Gordon sighed heavily, picking up the now heavy litterbox filled with cat supplies. "I'm going to get a cart. <em>Don't </em>wander off." Gordon narrowed his eyes, turning and walking toward the carts.</p><p>When Gordon returned with the cart, Benrey was no where to be found. He sighed heavily, leaning against the cart and running a hand through his hair. He specifically told the being <em>not</em> to run off, but of <em>course </em>he did.</p><p>A jingle from a bell interruped Gordon from pulling his hair from his scalp, he looked up to see Benrey setting cat toys, treats, and then a bag of food he had hoisted over his shoulder, into the cart.</p><p>"let's goooo, nightly is waitinggg," Benrey drawled, already pulling the cart toward the checkout. Gordon chuckled, shaking his head and following Benrey to the checkout.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Anxiety</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gordon has a nightmare, Benrey comforts him the best he can.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not good at angst/sadness at all, but it doesn't hurt to try, hm?</p><p>If you don't want to read the nightmare, just skip from the '.' break to 'Before it got completely fatal, Gordon shot awake, tears streaking down his face as he panicked.'</p><p>Enjoy the chapter :&gt;</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gordon and Benrey had returned home, now setting up the house for the cat. Benrey was pouring Nightly food and water, while Gordon was setting up the litter box in the spare bathroom.</p><p>Benrey was soon done with Nightly's food and water and walked into Gordon's room, the soft orange cat bed as well as the cresent blanket in his hands. He passed his bundle of blankets on the floor near the dresser, setting the cat bed by his sleeping arrangement. He laid the blanket half draped over the cat bed- something to cover Nightly up while she sleeps- and left the room, pleased with his work.</p><p>Gordon had since walked to the kitchen, his hands cleaned, and now he was grabbing supplies to make grilled cheese sandwiches. "Sandwich?" Gordon asked without looking over, seeing Benrey from the corner of his eye. "'kay," Benrey replied simply, moving to find Nightly. Gordon nodded to himself, turning on the stove and preparing two grilled cheese sandwiches, while Benrey found the cat and flopped on the couch.</p><p>-</p><p>It was soon time to sleep, Benrey holding Nightly as he and Gordon headed to Gordon's room. Benrey went to his mountain of blankets- considering he wouldn't use the spare rooms and was always found in the morning seated beside the dresser. Nightly was being held securely by the once-security guard, gently being set in her bed. When Nightly settled down was when Benrey covered her curled body with the cresent blanket and pat her on the head before situating himself in his bed and facing the wall.</p><p>Gordon couldn't help but stare quietly, never having seen Benrey so careful or gentle. He slightly smiled to himself and walked to the bathroom, changing to his pyjamas and finishing up his night routine, before dropping into bed and sinking in comfortably. "G'night, Benrey, Night lil Ni," He muttered tiredly, thinking himself to sleep.</p><p>.</p><p>Gordon looked around, nothing but a white void surrounding him. He was silent for a moment, soaking in his blank surroundings. "Benrey?" He called out, feeling uneasy about his current situation, a fearful knot forming in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, he felt water welling around his feet and flooding into his shoes, though water pumps were no where to be found. He panicked internally, looking around as if there were an exit to this void.</p><p>The water continously and quickly raised, now up to Gordon's knees. Terror set in and he rushed to kick off his sopping wet shoes, heavy now that water was soaked in them, however his shoes wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he tried. He felt himself begin to hyperventilate, his head fuzzy and vision blurring the faster he breathed. "<em>Oh</em> <em>God</em>," he whispered repeatedly lifting his chin as the water reached his chest. He couldn't move, couldn't swim up, he was stuck in place. The water constricting his chest and making it all the harder to breathe. Soon, the water was above his head, heavy and suffocating. Gordon was struggling to hold his breath, eyes closed tight in hopes this would all be over soon. But he couldn't hold his breath long enough. Bubbles escaped from Gordon's nose and mouth, jaws wide open in hopes that air would flood his lungs, though instead, water filled his lungs. He coughed and coughed, in the process inhaling more of the water surrounding him.</p><p>Before it got completely fatal, Gordon shot awake, tears streaking down his face as he panicked. His fists were white with how tight he was holding his bedsheets, and in his blind panic he hadn't noticed Benrey had sat up and was currently staring at him. It was only when a dip on the side of the bed alerted him of presence and he tensed but otherwise didn't move, his face hidden in his knees. He wasn't sure when he moved into that position but it didn't matter, so long as he wasn't drowning would he be fine.</p><p>He let out a choked sob he didn't realize he was holding in as arms gently surrounded him in a reassuring hug, and Gordon thought he felt something soft brush his ankles. "B - Benrey?" Gordon asked quietly, wanting to be sure this was real, not another nightmare. The person beside him- who obviously <em>had </em>to be Benrey, who else would be in his house- remained quiet, keeping Gordon wrapped in a tight, though not suffocating embrace. Gordon eventually gave in to the comfort, returning the hug to the eldritch being, his cries slowly decreasing to weak sniffles and hiccups. The room remained dead silent except for the noises from Gordon, until Benrey started telling him to control his breathing.</p><p>"calm down. breathe in, hold, breathe out." Benrey said softly, watching Nightly push herself onto Gordon's lap. Gordon gently pet Nightly as he struggled to control his breathing, but soon he was breathing alright. Benrey released Gordon from the embrace, looking him over for a moment. "what happened? you woke up all upset." Benrey asked, watching Gordon quietly pet Nightly. "Just a nightmare." Gordon mumbled. "Sorry for bothering you." Gordon said, moving to where he was sitting beside his pillows. Benrey simply shrugged and opened his arms, figuring that Gordon needed a hug.</p><p>Gordon moved so he wasn't positiones awkwardly, before half-reluctantly hugging Benrey. He <em>needed</em> a hug, but from Benrey, he was a bit hesitant. He felt arms wrap around him, his nerves calming down slowly but surely. Nightly pushed herself onto his lap, curling up and purring softly.</p><p>The calmness of the moment ended up with Gordon asleep, his arms loosely curled around Benrey as he leaned against the being. Benrey gently nudged Nightly off Gordon's lap, then laid him down, doing his best not to disturb the sleeping Gordon. Nightly curled back up by Gordon as Benrey went to his mountain of blankets and laid back down, facing the wall once again.</p><p>-</p><p>A knock rung through the quiet apartment, Benrey sitting up in curiousity as to who is at the door. He stood up, glancing at Gordon before he left the room, then closing the bedroom door and heading to the entrance to answer the door. He looked through the peep-hole, seeing Tommy and a glimpse of Sunkist, deciding it was good to open the door. "Hello, Benrey!" Tommy greeted happily, while Sunkist wagged her tail and nudged at Benrey's hand.</p><p>Benrey half paid attention to Sunkist, lightly scratching behind her ear, as he spoke to Tommy. "'sup," Benrey said simply, moving aside for Tommy to enter. "gordon's still sleeping. like a baby. like a little piss baby." Benrey said, closing the door behind Tommy and Sunkist. He forgot today Tommy was coming to visit. But since Tommy was here now, he'd have to wake up Gordon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It really isn't that bad of a nightmare, but to me its terrifying. Drowning is a very strong fear of mine, and though it isn't a phobia, I still get extreme nightmares sometimes, so I projected it onto Gordon. &gt;:O</p><p>I also thought I nightmare this chapter would be fitting! First night with Nightly, lets show if she's the cat to pick up on mood changes or not? She is, of course, though it takes her a moment to notice the shift from say, neutral to sad. She did her best to comfort Gordon, she'll be a good cat :)<br/>.<br/>Benrey and everyone else is probably really ooc. Gordon might be alright, might, but I'm no good at preserving personalities of characters. Benrey is probably the worst of them, he's such a mood but boy is he hard to write. So if you've stayed thus far, I'm very sorry that they're ooc :))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Bolt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Benrey finds a friend, and nearly loses one too. Slightly sad moment in this chapter, brought up with a little fluff by the end.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So a friend of mine brought to my attention that I completely forgot to implement Joshua in this fic. For the purposes of this universe, lil' Joshie lives with his mother. Gordon is not very happy about it, but kinda has to live with it due to losing the custody battle. Y'know, because he was kinda stuck underground for months at a time and missed his court dates. ;((</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gordon sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes groggily as a large yawn escaped his lips. Despite his night of rest, he still felt exhausted, so he decided he just didn’t sleep well. He noticed Benrey wasn’t in the room, and the faint sound of voices and clattering in the kitchen, as well as the pleasant smell of pancakes wafting in his room. . .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon jolted violently as he realized Tommy was visiting today. He snapped his glasses open and slid them on, checking the time; 10:23 am. He clambered out of bed and made his way to his bathroom, having grabbed spare clothes on the way, and closing the bathroom doors despite his bedroom door already being closed, before turning on the shower and stripping off his clothes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He near silently went about his morning routine; showering, brushing his teeth and hair, trimming his beard, and others of which in his bathroom, before finally exiting his room, movements slightly limp and lethargic, still tired from recently waking up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good morning, Mr. Freeman!” Tommy chirped out, not looking up from the pancakes he was working on. Benrey was lying lopsided on a chair in the dining room, half a pancake hanging out his mouth as he watched Tommy pour and flip the food.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Morning, Tommy,” Gordon mumbled out, gently petting Sunkist on the head when the dog ran up to him. “Hey, Sunkist.” He cooed, watching as she sat, still slightly awestruck by how <em> big </em>she is. He didn’t even have to crouch to pet her, she was still up to his chest even when she sat. “How’ve you been?” He asked, slightly turning himself to face Tommy. Sunkist followed his movements, pushing her head into his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve been- We’ve been alright, Mr. Freeman!” Tommy replied, finishing up the pancakes and bringing the plate to the table. Benrey’s pancake had long since disappeared and he was reaching for another as Gordon entered the kitchen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks for the pancakes,” Gordon mumbled, surprisingly still a bit tired despite waking a little over twenty minutes ago. He dropped into a seat beside Benrey, Tommy sitting beside him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course, Mr. Freeman!” Tommy chirped, taking a pancake for himself and setting it on his plate. Benrey was tearing into his second pancake, his plate completely ignored. Gordon as well, grabbed a pancake for himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>___</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sunkist was trotting calmly beside Tommy, her tongue lolling out her mouth. Tommy was rambling about beyblades to Benrey, Gordon had tuned out a bit ago and was just staring to the side. When they reached the park was when he tuned back in, Benrey now talking to Tommy about- who knows what.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Go have fun, Sunkist!” Tommy patted her head, clicking off her leash and letting the dog run off into the park. Sunkist barked once before tearing through the grass, running over to a few dogs wrestling in the grass and adding to the dog pile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon chuckled quietly, amused by the gigantic dog's actions. "Where d'you want to sit at, Tommy?" He asked, looking around at the numerous benches scattering the park. Some were empty, some had couples or friends enjoying the company and indulging in conversations. To say today wasn't a nice day would be a lie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Over there!" Tommy pointed to an empty bench sat under a large oak tree, shaded and cool, compared to the sun beating down on them at current times.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Sounds good." Gordon nodded, shooting a glance down to Benrey to see if he was still alive. He smiled at the sight of Benrey crouched on the ground, a small yet energetic flat-coated retriever sitting up with its front paws on his legs, him stroking its head and scratching its ears.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Awe, Benrey! You made- You made a friend!" Tommy cooed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"yo, feetman, i want a puppy too." Benrey grinned, looking up to Gordon while still petting the little black puppy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You have Nightly." Gordon hissed out quietly, a glare aimed at Benrey.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"c'mon bro. . ." Benrey all but whined, lightly pushing the puppy off his lap and standing. Tommy began walking to the bench as he did. Gordon and Benrey trailed behind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No, Nightly is more than enough for now. ." Gordon said, watching Tommy sit on the bench, Sunkist bounding up to him. There was an obvious smile on the dog's face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"for now?" Benrey echoed, dropping on the spot beside Tommy. Gordon sat beside Benrey, watching as the same puppy run up to the bench. The pup yipped and barked at Benrey until he lifted the puppy onto his lap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I wonder where his owners are!" Tommy piped up suddenly, patting the small puppy on the head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Or if he gets fed enough." Gordon muttered, seeing the dog's ribs. He reached out and scritched the pup's chin, smiling lightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"'m callin' him gysher for now." Benrey muttered, blowing a smooch at Gysher.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Gysher?" Gordon echoed, looking down at the lab before looking back at Benrey.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"yeah, bro, gysher." Benrey nodded, petting the pup's head. "he's a good boy. good dog."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You aren't keeping him. He probably has owners, and I'm sure they want him back." Gordon said sternly, crossing his arms over his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I- If he doesn't have owners, what are you gonna do with him?" Tommy asked, his eyebrows turned upwards in a worried expression.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"yeah man, what're you gonna do if gysher doesn't have humans?" Benrey stared.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon drug a hand down his face, a soft groan emitting from the annoyed man. "If it comes to that, I'll think of something, okay? Probably- Probably take him to the shelter or something."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey only grumbled a response, obviously not happy with Gordon's reply. "or we could keep-"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We are <em> not </em>keeping him!" Gordon interrupted, glaring down at Benrey. "We already have Nightly, we don't need a puppy, too."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey simply frowned, holding onto the puppy and staring down at the floor like a pouting child.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh, Sunkist! Are you getting tired?" Tommy asked the large golden retriever, in return getting a bark and a small bounce from Sunkist. "Mr. Freeman, Sunkist and I are going to go- going to head home now. Thank you for letting us stop by." Tommy smiled, waving bye to Benrey and Gordon and petting Gysher before walking out of the park, Sunkist obediently at his side.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Gysher yipped after Tommy, jumping down from Benrey's lap and running in circles a few times, before turning back to Gordon and Benrey.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"C'mon, we're gunna go take Gysher to the shelter to see if he's chipped." Gordon said, picking up the puppy and holding him to his chest as Benrey stood. He chuckled quietly when the smaller man reached out to hold Gysher, giving him the pup before turning to head home for now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>___</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon opened the door for Benrey once it was unlocked, walking in after him and closing the door. Once the door was closed, Benrey set Gysher down before leaving to the kitchen, grabbing a plastic bowl and filling it with water and setting it down for the pup, then walking to the bedroom, presumably to see Nightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon smiled slightly and rubbed Gysher’s head before sitting at the kitchen table, grabbing his phone from his pocket and searching up where the nearest shelter was located. “Benrey,” He called out, not seeing that Benrey had walked into the kitchen with Nightly in his arms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“yeah bro?” Benrey asked, spooking Gordon- quite visibly, since he jumped and looked up in a flash. He quietly snickered at that, rubbing Nightly’s head between her ears. “spook baby,” He said teasingly, resulting in a glare from Gordon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shut up, man, I wasn’t expecting you to be right there,” Gordon muttered, setting his phone on the table. “Anyway, the nearest shelter is about an hour away.” He said, going off what his phone had told him. “Though, traffic might be an absolute horror.” He explained, getting up from his chair and heading over to pick up Gysher.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“why can’t we just keep him?” Benrey asked, following behind Gordon while still petting Nightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Benrey, we’ve been over this. We aren’t keeping him.” Gordon sighed, picking up the puppy and grabbing his car keys. “C’mon, let’s go bring him to the shelter.” He muttered, heading to the front door. Benrey set Nightly down and followed Gordon to the door, locking and closing the door behind himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three situated themselves in the car, Gordon in the driver’s seat, Benrey in the passenger seat with Gysher in his lap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If he becomes a distraction, he’s going in the backseat.” Gordon warned, starting the car and heading down the road and to the animal shelter. Benrey only hummed an ‘mhm’ in response and pet Gysher.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>___</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They soon made it to the shelter- only taking about an hour and forty-five minutes, since traffic was a little clogged. Gordon parked and got out of the car, waiting for Benrey to get out, too, so they could go in. It took a moment, but Benrey was soon standing beside him, grumbling about how they should keep Gysher and this is a mistake, a few poorly constructed insults also leaving the angry man’s mouth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon ignored him, walking into the shelter and holding the door for Benrey before walking to the front desk. A lady sitting behind the desk looked up at him, flashing a kind smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hello! I’m Ophelia, what can I help you with?” The lady- Ophelia- asked joyfully, quite visibly happy with her job.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We found this puppy while we were at the park, no one seemed to be watching him and he didn’t have a collar or anything. We were wondering if you could scan for a chip?” Gordon asked, nudging Benrey to show Ophelia the pup.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, what a pretty dog. I imagine he must’ve been a lot,” Ophelia hummed, gently rubbing the dog’s ear. “Come with me,” She smiled, walking from behind the desk and propping open a door to the back. She held the door for the two, leading them to a pretty small room. “Set him on the table, if you will?” She asked politely, moving to a cabinet and grabbing out the microchip reader.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“if he doesn’t have an owner can we keep him?” Benrey asked Gordon quietly, receiving a shake of a head and an equally as quiet, “No, Benrey.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The chip reader beeped and showed Gysher’s microchip ID once it detected the chip. “Good news!” Ophelia said cheerily, petting the puppy’s head before turning back to Gordon and Benrey. “He has a microchip! We’ll call the owners, if they don’t answer we’ll call you. I’ll give you a paper to write your contact information.” She said sweetly, leading them back out to the lobby room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you,” Gordon said as politely as he could, already a bit annoyed from Benrey’s constant pleading to keep the puppy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You can leave once you write it all down, and I’ll be calling the owners.” Ophelia smiled, waving bye to the two and heading to the front desk once again. Gordon wrote his contact information and quietly handed it to her, not wanting to interrupt the phone call, though it seemed she was still waiting for an answer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“why does gysher have to stay?” Benrey asked as Gordon and him left, a frown on his face. “can’t he just- come with us?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, because if the owner responds then they have to come up to pick him up. It just works that way, alright?” Gordon sighed, dragging a hand down his face tiredly. “Let’s just- get some food, get home, maybe watch a movie or something?” He suggested, opening the driver side door of his car and ducking in, unlocking the doors for Benrey to get in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“‘kay,” Benrey replied as he dropped into his seat, closing the door and watching out the window in relative silence as Gordon started the car and began back home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>__</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two made it home much faster than when they head to the shelter, seeing as there wasn’t much traffic at all, and Gordon was just a bit faster than suggested. Benrey decided he wanted just a simple dinner- Taco Bell, ordered from the drive-thru just to be faster- and Gordon wasn’t one to object, considering it didn’t cost much at all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, they were simply two minutes away from their destination- home- and Benrey seemed a bit antsy, like something bad was about to happen. Gordon decided not to say anything of it, not wanting to annoy or off-set the man more than he already was, but he certainly did feel a bit worried. His thoughts nearly got the best of him, if it weren’t for Benrey yelling out, and himself catching sight of something grey and white streaking in front of the car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He quickly hit the breaks, sending the already sitting up Benrey lurching forward, the car quickly coming to a much slower speed than the thirty-one miles per hour he was going. He watched as the grey and white tabby cat retreated to the sidewalk- opposite side of where his house was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Jesus.. Sorry Benrey... Guess I wasn’t paying attention, huh?” Gordon mumbled, pulling into the driveway. He pulled the key from the ignition starter and glanced at Benrey, noticing he seemed a bit startled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey simply muttered an incomprehensible response, opening his door and grabbing the food bag, glancing at Gordon and waiting for him to get out too, so he could unlock the door. “c’mon feetman, hurry up, didn’t you want to watch a movie? huh?” Benrey prodded, loudly closing the car door and heading to the front entrance of the house. “lemme in,” He drawled, leaning lazily against the door. Gordon however, hadn’t failed to notice Benrey <em> still </em> seemed on edge, as if nearly running that cat over just <em> wasn’t </em>enough. He did, though, hadn’t noticed the cat had moved closer, now prowling the shadows the overhang of the house was casting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, alright-” He chuckled, unlocking the door and propping it open for Benrey. “Hey, Nightly,” Gordon cooed, watching the cat run up to the door, the bell on her collar jingling cheerfully. She meowed up at Gordon and Benrey, her ears perking and swiveling at the sound of a gravelly meow returning from outside. Of course, Benrey, Gordon and Nightly all turned their heads to look, seeing the same cat from before- At least, for Benrey and Gordon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And then, all things went to hell.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nightly let out a large noise mixed in between a meow and a hiss, garbled in comparison of the dainty purrs and meows she typically let out, before she was gone, out of the house and chasing the cat in a flash.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey looked at Gordon with nothing but wide eyes and a distressed expression, obviously already on the brink of tears after watching his precious cat dart out of the house. Gordon instantly felt his heart tear at that, he took the Taco Bell bag from Benrey and set it on the nearest table, before gently grabbing hold of Benrey’s hand and lightly squeezing it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come on, we’ll find her, alright?” He said gently, not wanting the other to cry. It was a bit odd, seeing him so upset, but it was obvious why- his cat just up and ran off! He himself would be crying, too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey nodded and muttered out an, “okay,” slightly trailing behind Gordon as he headed out the door, closing it and continuing down the street. Luckily, it wasn’t completely dark, just enough to see the silhouettes of the two cats turning down the street. Gordon felt Benrey tug at him before he full on darted after the two, leaving an already tired Gordon to follow behind. He had forgotten how <em> fast </em>Benrey was and, just trying to keep up was making his lungs hurt.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Benrey stopped running and looked around for a moment before turning and looking at Gordon, a sad look on his face as he sniffled sadly. “Come on, Benrey, let’s keep looking. Don’t give up now just because you can’t see her, alright?” Gordon reassured the best he could, taking Benrey’s hand again and pausing for a moment, hearing snarling and hissing in the near distance. He offered a small smile and led Benrey in the direction he had heard it, at a pace he much preferred. They arrived just in time to see Nightly and the other cat down a dead-end between two apartment complexes, combined with a single yet tall fence, Nightly in a corner and the grey tabby leering over her, growling lowly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Gordon stepped in, stomping his foot heavily and spooking the cats, before harshly stepping forward to frighten them all the more. “Go on, get, leave her alone now.” He huffed, making shooing motions with his hands. The grey and white tabby cat hissed out and scampered off, fur along its spine raised threateningly and its ears pressed against its head. He gently moved toward Nightly, showing her the back of his hand and letting her rub against it before carefully picking her up, walking back to Benrey and handing him Nightly, of which he <em> very </em>gladly took her into his arms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Come on, bud, let’s get home now.” He smiled gently, watching as Benrey tightly held onto Nightly so she couldn’t possibly run off again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>__</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the three made it home, Benrey set Nightly down once Gordon closed the door, which she ran off to hide somewhere in the house. Gordon walked up to where Benrey stood, pulling him in a small side-hug, before grabbing the bag of now cold Taco Bell carryout, looking back to Benrey. “You still up to watching a movie and eating Taco Bell?” He asked, tilting his head slightly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“yeah, man, only if we watch little monsters though. its on hulu, bro, you got hulu?” Benrey seemed a bit cheered up, already heading toward the couch.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s fine. Let me hook up my computer, hold on.” Gordon chuckled, heading to his room and grabbing his HDMI cable and computer, heading back to the living room and hooking it up to the TV, then opening Hulu and turning on the requested movie, before settling beside Benrey, who scooted closer beside him. He smiled to himself as Benrey shifted to get comfy before leaning against his side, wrapping his arm around the shorter man and half-focusing on the movie.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am so, SO sorry this took so long!! I rewrote this three or four times, as well as either wrote this in the car, or was writing this at two am. To make up for it, its a pretty long chapter!! My betas seemed to like it, and I was/still am, SUPER excited about this chapter. It's the longest one I've EVER wrote before, being at 3,077 words!!! Woah!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I have decided that this is going to be more than one chapter weee</p><p>I'm really enjoying writing this, actually, and I hope you all enjoy reading it. I know it isn't the longest but hopefully it'll get longer?<br/>.<br/>I added a break like timeskip or whatever to the Petsmart because writing about driving in the car? Kinda boring haha-<br/>Anyway, this is dragging on now. Feel free to comment any advice or tell me what you disliked so I can make it better! Remain safe in these troubling times, I love you all!</p><p>((Also, this wasn't proof-read, I did my best not to mispell anything from the beginning so if it sucks, darn ;(</p></blockquote></div></div>
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